


Nightmare

by GemmaRose



Category: One Piece
Genre: Cuddles, Gen, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-23 19:58:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4890115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ace is turning seventeen, and Luffy is afraid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmare

It's unseasonably warm for New Year's. Warm enough that the two youngest members of the Dadan Family have dragged their mats apart and forsaken blankets for the time being. The New Year has been rung in, alcohol drunk and fireworks lit off, and while people still celebrate in Edge Town and High Town, the night is peaceful on Mount Corvo.

\---

Luffy stood amongst a massive crowd, watching a boat sail away into the open ocean. A familiar black flag fluttered from atop the mast, and despite the deafening cheers of the mob, the rubber boy's stomach filled with leaden anxiety. The people in the crowd had no faces, only blank ovals of skin between their hair and neck. Each one smiled though, smiled and cheered, but the more he looked at them the heavier Luffy's limbs felt. They had no faces, but they had mouths. Wide leering slashes of darkness, dripping thick black blood as they cheered mindlessly for the tiny boat approaching such huge waves.

Luffy's head whipped around at the sound of a familiar yell, and his heart froze at the scream which was quickly drowned out by the crowd's roaring. Ace's ship had caught fire, and each wave which crashed over the deck and threatened to sweep his big brother overboard only made the flames leap higher.

The crowd was chanting now, repeating the word "Sink" over and over, loud enough to make the young teen's ears bleed. His hands were too heavy to lift to his ears, but he still heard Ace screaming over it all.

"Luffy, stay there!"

The words cut through the deafening chant, and the rubber boy took a step forward. His feet moved until he stood at the end of the short pier, toes curling over the edge. The hands of the faceless, gash-mouthed chanters clung to him by his arms and shoulders, his shirt and hat.

"Luffy!" Ace screamed as a familiar fin cut through the waves towards his pyre of a ship, and it was all wrong. Ace was never scared like this, but he was going to die just like-

"Go." a young voice urged him, a small hand resting on his back. The shove it delivered was strong though, and the hands of the mob released him all at once as the ghost laughed. Not warm and joyous, as he had been in life, but cold and cruel. Luffy tried to scream as he stepped unwillingly off the pier, but his tongue was lead and his throat closed tighter than Dadan's booze stash. He saw the Lord of the coast rise up out of the water, heard Ace scream, and then the waves came up to meet him and he was drowning, sinking, surrounded by the crushing hatred of the sea he'd sworn to conquer.

\---

Luffy sat bolt upright, throat aching from the scream trapped inside it. It was hot, far too hot to be near his human furnace of a big brother, but he had to be sure. So maybe it was just a nightmare, but it didn't hurt to check. The older teen's chest was moving visibly, breaths deep and even in his sleep, but Luffy still pressed two fingers to his brother's sweaty neck. Ace's heartbeat was strong and regular as it always was, as it always would be, and Luffy sighed in relief even as goosebumps sprang up all across his arms. They'd dragged their beds apart due to the unseasonable heat, but now, in the darkest hours of early early morning, the rubber boy shivered.

"Aaace." he whispered, gripping the older teen's shoulder and shaking him gently. "Ace I'm cold can I sleep with you."

The freckled boy rolled onto his back and cracked his eyes open a sliver, giving Luffy a menacing glare. "How are you cold?"

"Pleeease?" Luffy widened his eyes and gripped his brother's forearm.

Ace groaned and turned over again, this time so he was facing the smaller child. "Fine. Get over here." he held open his arms, and Luffy wasted no time lying down in his brother's embrace. If he curled up just so, then when Ace curled around him he had his ear pressed to the older boy's chest, so that was how he positioned himself. It was maybe a bit too warm, but that was better than the chill which had followed his nightmare. And if this was going to be his last chance to cuddle with Ace, then he wasn't going to miss it just because of some stupid weather.

The freckled teen fell back to sleep rather quickly, but Luffy laid awake for a short while, simply listening to his brother's heartbeat. Once he was certain Ace was asleep, he very carefully stretched one arm to encircle the older boy's torso twice. The teen would be leaving in the coming day, but until then Luffy wouldn't let anyone hurt his brother.


End file.
